The present invention relates to cellular telecommunication systems. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to an apparatus, system, and method for dynamic, distributed coordination of parameters between a plurality of base stations in a cellular telecommunication network.
In a cellular network, it is sometimes necessary for each base station in the network to select a set of parameters that is uniquely distinguishable from those in use in the base station's immediate neighboring cells. For a downlink transmission, for example, each base station needs to transmit a locally unique Reference Signal (RS) to enable User Equipments (UEs) operating within the base station's cell to identify the cell and to synchronize to the downlink transmission. Each base station needs to select (or have assigned) an RS that is different from the base station's immediate neighboring cells. In another example, each base station may select (or be assigned) one of several frequency bands for transmission. If the same frequency band is only reused in other cells that are far away, inter-cell interference can be significantly reduced. This is the classical frequency planning methodology commonly practiced in second generation networks such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).
There are also occasions when each base station may need to set a value to a parameter such as transmit power or radio radiation beam direction, in such a way that the setting is compatible with the settings of neighboring cells in order to optimize performance of the entire network.